Players develop at their own pace. Sometimes they take to the NHL quickly; sometimes not so fast. Health, psychological make-up and opportunity all play into the mix that make for a successful young career.

Eric Fehr was a very young man when we drafted him, perhaps the youngest player that year in the draft by birth date. He has had many setbacks in terms of injury but now he is healthy. He is getting ice time and he is putting the puck in the net.

Our coaching staff played him a lot in Hershey and knew what he could do. Our scouts had seen him play as a young adult and in the juniors and believed in him. They were always supportive of him.

So we have kept the faith. He is a good kid and a big man with skill and competitiveness. He is getting his chance to shine and he is making the most of it now.

He has added some juice to our line-up. Playing with Fleischmann and Fedorov has created a very dynamic and balanced line together. He isn’t afraid to go to the net. He plays solid D. He will be in our line-up for a long time.

I am proud of the way we have been developing our young players. We haven’t listened to critics and naysayers. We have listened to the staff that we trust. We have shown our loyalty to our own players and they are responding in kind. Go Caps!